The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 641: Xianfeng: Oh no, Hong Xiuquan and I are now related! (Please subscribe, please vote)

Western Pacific, steam paddle steamer "Geely".

This passenger and cargo steamship with a displacement of more than 2000 tons was now carrying Feng Yunshan, Xianfeng, Chiyoko, Rinko, and Xianfeng's two American brothers, Emanuel Lehman, the second of the Lehman brothers, and JP Morgan, the -year-old son of Junius Morgan, and they were sailing on the boundless Pacific Ocean!

Their route back home this time was carefully planned, and they were divided into two groups. One group, led by Huang Shiren and Zeng Jia. Linshu, led dozens of large sailing ships southward, passed the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean, crossed the Indian Ocean and passed Malacca into the South China Sea, and finally headed north to Shanghai.

The journey took five months and the destination was not reached until the spring of 1859.

The other route is faster. First, take a steamship to Guatemala, then take the transoceanic railway to the other side of the Pacific Ocean, and then change to another steamship to cross the Pacific Ocean to Shanghai. This route saves time and can be completed in about two months.

In this way, Feng Yunshan and his men could arrive three months earlier than the dozens of ships of grain - and these three months were the time that Luo Yaoguo, an angel who had never seen stocks, bonds, or futures, gave the Rothschilds to reap the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
At this moment, in a luxurious cabin of the Geely, the carved sandalwood bedframe creaked with the waves. Xianfeng was slumped on a large brass bed, his stomach churning and cold sweat pouring out of his forehead - Xianfeng was seasick again, and particularly severe, almost as sick as the first time he went on a long ocean voyage to the United States.

While he was dazed, he suddenly saw Feng Yunshan approaching with an iron chain, at the other end of which was tied a red-hot iron ball - it was obvious that it was an extremely powerful magical weapon. If this iron ball fell down, even if Xianfeng was not crushed to death, he would be scalded to death!

"Xian the Devil, it's time to go to heaven." Feng Yunshan's voice mixed with the roar of the steam turbine, which made people's eardrums hurt. The iron chain shook, and the iron ball whistled towards the porthole, and the broken glass mixed with sea water splashed all over Xianfeng's face.

"Help!" Xianfeng rolled off the bed, his head hitting the Persian carpet. He opened his eyes and saw Chiyoko's lilac kimono skirt passing in front of him. The Japanese woman was holding a hot towel to wipe his face.

"Zhao Si, why are you having a nightmare again? Have you done anything wrong?" Feng Yunshan stood beside the carved screen, his moon-white gown spotless, his face full of amiable smiles, and he was telling jokes, as if he didn't treat Xianfeng as an outsider at all!

There were two foreigners standing behind Feng Yunshan, bowing their heads. One was tall and handsome, Emanuel, the third son of the Lehman family. The other was a short and fat young man, J.P. Morgan, the young master of the Morgan family - that is, JP Morgan.

These two men were Xianfeng's "little brothers" - Xianfeng was now the general manager of the Taiping Trading Company, and they worked as managers and assistants under General Manager Xian.

Rinko stepped forward holding a lacquer box in her hand: "Zhao Yang just shouted in her dream 'Don't burn me', which frightened me to death."

She opened the lid of the box, and inside the hexagonal ebony box were peppermint ointment, Rendan and a celadon snuff bottle, all of which were items for preventing seasickness.

It turned out to be a dream. Xianfeng breathed a sigh of relief.

"Excuse me, I'm not used to long voyages." Xianfeng forced himself to stand up and saw dark clouds outside the porthole. The sea must be rough and the Jili was shaking violently. As he spoke, he took the mint cream that Rinko gave him and smelled it. A cool breeze rushed to his head and the dizziness was relieved a lot. Then he stood up with the help of Chiyoko and bowed to the Southern King Feng Yunshan, saying, "Your Highness, where are we now? Have we reached Japan? If there is a shortage of food in the country, maybe we can..."

"There is no rush to raise grain." Feng Yunshan raised his hand to interrupt Emperor Xianfeng's words. Chiyoko just served him a cup of tea at this moment. Amid the crisp sound of porcelain cups colliding, he stroked the lid of the tea bowl and said with a smile, "I have a family matter to discuss with you, Zhao Si."

Xianfeng's heart was pounding. Isn't Feng Yunshan's "family affairs" the affairs of the Heavenly Father, Heavenly Brother, and Heavenly King? The higher-ups must have realized that they had arrested the wrong person, and sent a message to Feng Yunshan in his dream, asking him to turn himself in.
"Although Chiyoko grew up in Japan, her ancestors have been believers in Heavenly Father for generations." Feng Yunshan pointed at Chiyoko standing beside him, "I want to adopt her as my adopted daughter, and then marry her to you, Zhao Si. In this way, you and I will be father-in-law and son-in-law under the Heavenly Father's throne."

The atmosphere in the cabin relaxed instantly. Pierpont's blue eyes sparkled. This shrewd JP Morgan immediately smelled a business opportunity - if Zhao Si really became Feng Yunshan's son-in-law, then the business of the Zhenyue faction on the East Coast would definitely be dominated by him in the future. If I follow him, would I be afraid that I would not have the opportunity to rise to prominence?
"Nan, Nan Wang, are you kidding me?" Xianfeng's throat tightened, and he dug his fingernails into his palms to steady his voice. "I, I, I have become a relative of the Heavenly Father, Heavenly Brother, and Heavenly King?"

Feng Yunshan smiled and nodded: "Yes! From now on, you will be the grandson-in-law of Heavenly Father, my son-in-law, and the nephew-in-law of Brother Tian, ​​the Heavenly King, the Eastern King, the Northern King, the Wu King, the Wing King, Xuan Jiao, and Victoria. You are of the same generation as Tian Gui and the others."

This is incredible. From now on, Xianfeng can sit at the same table with the children in Hong Xiuquan's house.
Xianfeng really didn't know whether to cry or laugh! He, the emperor of the Qing Dynasty, was not only a long-haired man, but also a big long-haired man, a royal relative of the long-haired man, and the grandson-in-law of the Heavenly Father and God.

With this identity, he shouldn't be taken to heaven, right? Thinking of this, Xianfeng quickly stood up and knelt, kowtowed three times to Feng Yunshan: "Nan Wang, no, it's my father-in-law, Old Taishan, please accept my son-in-law's greetings!"

Feng Yunshan stroked his beard and nodded with satisfaction, then glanced at Chiyoko: "Qian'er, help your husband up quickly. Take good care of him. When we meet your Uncle Luo Jiu in Tianjing, we will hold a wedding for you and Zhao Si, and ask your Uncle Luo Jiu to preside over it!"

"Thank you, father." Chiyoko was also very happy. She was just a female ninja from Iga, a low-level warrior, and could not be compared with Chiba who was beside Hong Daquan. She could only do dirty, tiring and dangerous work. She was extremely satisfied to be able to get close to Bishop Zhao, and she would be happy even if he became her concubine! As a result, Feng Yunshan actually took her in as his goddaughter in order to win over Zhao Si!

Even if she, the goddaughter of the Feng family, cannot be compared with Rinzi, she is still worthy of Zhao Si's formal marriage and she will become the legitimate Mrs. Zhao!
1858 October.

HSBC Building, The Bund, Shanghai.

The sound of steam whistles rose and fell from the Huangpu River. In the five-story building, which combined Chinese and Western styles, accountants in short coats ran in and out, holding account books. The bronze words "HSBC" shone golden in the autumn sun - what a golden signboard!

Outside a spacious office on the top floor, bank clerks kept shouting at the top of their lungs, reporting the latest grain prices in the Shanghai Stock Exchange next door.

"Rice futures rose another three points!"

"Flour futures have risen above 4 taels!"

Through the gaps in the blinds of the top-floor office, Luo Yaoguo looked at the densely packed grain transport ships on the river, and tapped the rhythm of "General's Order" on the glass with his fingertips. On the wall behind him hung a map of the world's territory, with two thick arrows pointing from Henan and Zhili to Shanxi and Shaanxi and Gansu - there was still a Great Zhou Dynasty entrenched there that was in opposition to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
However, the biggest problem the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is facing right now is probably not the orthodox religious regime that controls the northwest, but the rising grain prices.
"King Wu, this is the autumn harvest report for Liangjiang and the four provinces." Maria held the account book and frowned, "The grain harvest in various places is still good. Although it can't be called a bumper year, it is at least an average year. Why is the grain price rising continuously?"

Xu Yuegui made a crackling sound when she moved the beads on the abacus. "According to the current grain price, our Sanxin Company is losing five cents of silver per dan in the futures market. With a short position of 100,000 dan, we will lose a total of 50,000 taels!"

Wu Chaoyue shook his head repeatedly: "King Wu, the Prophecy Fund has lost more in its account at HSBC. The floating loss has exceeded 100,000 taels! The Holy Treasury Fund has lost 120,000 taels in its account at Zhenyue Bank."

"Let Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian open up another 2 million mu of sweet potato fields." Luo Yaoguo suddenly slammed the table, shaking the jade paperweight so much that it jumped half an inch. "Continue to increase short positions, add another 500,000 shi of short orders and we must drive down the futures price!"

"But." Wu Jianzhang frowned, "Your Highness, grain prices are rising everywhere now, and grain merchants from all provinces have jointly requested a fair price. If we release the rice and flour in the warehouse, there will be no grain to deliver in three months. If we don't release the grain, the grain price in the next three months may be..."

Luo Yaoguo's secretary Fu Shanxiang came over at this time. This talented woman who graduated from Taiping University bowed to Luo Yaoguo and said, "Report to King Wu! His Royal Highness the Southern King's ship has arrived in Shanghai!"

Luo Yaoguo's eyes sparkled. He grabbed the telescope and pushed open the French window. In the direction of Shiliupu Wharf, the "Jili" with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's apricot yellow flag was slowly approaching the shore. A dragon flag, symbolizing the title of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, was fluttering on the ship coming from the other side of the ocean.

"Prepare the car! I'll go pick up Third Brother." Luo Yaoguo seemed to have let out a long sigh, then he turned around and said, "Chaoyue, go to the Shanghai Stock Exchange and place an empty order for 500,000 shi of rice and flour. Remember, don't throw it all out at once, but release it slowly, so that they will think that we are not confident enough and are very hesitant! In addition, after you arrive at the stock exchange, send someone back to HSBC to this office to quote prices every five minutes until the market closes!"

Are you trying to fool people?
Several people present were stunned.

Does this Luo Tianshi know anything about stocks, futures, and bonds? He sounded like he was setting a trap for the foreigners!

On the Huangpu River, the gangway of the "Geely" had just been lowered. Feng Yunshan looked at the rows of bank buildings and the construction that was in full swing on the Bund, and smiled to the stunned Xianfeng beside him: "My dear son-in-law, your uncle Luo Jiu is not best at fighting."

(End of this chapter)